Apparatus for charging storage batteries



Jul 5,1932. 5.. SPANGLER 1 865,595

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING STORAGE BATTERIES Fill ad July 8. 1930 INVENTOR N, Span ler,

BY a" i Q Fla ATTORNEY P atented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mmrus roacr'raaeme sronaon' namams Application fled July 8, 1931). Serial No. 466,398.

My invention relates to apparatus for.

charging storage batteries, and has for an object the provision of novel and improved means for increasing the rate of charge of a a stor a battery after the battery has been calle upon to furnish current to a load.

I will describe two forms of a paratus em bodyingm invention, and-will en point out the novel eatures thereof in claims.

In the accompanyin drawing, Fi 1 is a diagrammatic view 5 owing one orm of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a modihca- "tion of a ortion of the'apparatus shown in ll Fi 1 an also embod 'ng my invention.

imilar reference aracters refer to similar parts in each of the views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference character L designates a load, which, as here.

.9 shown is an electric lamp, and which load is norma ly supplied with alternating current from a generator G. A storage battery B is constantly supplied with a small charging current from the generator G through a rectifier R, and is used to furnish current tothe load L when the source of alternating current su ply from the generator G fails.

he generator G is connected with a transmission line P, and current is supplied from a this line to the load L through a transformer T, the primary 1 of which is connected with the transmission line 1?. The secondar f this transformer is normally connects with the load L throu h the front contacts 3 and 4- of a power-ofi re ay C, the winding of which is connected across the transformer secondary 2. When relay C becomes deenergized, due to a failure of alternating current-from the transmission line P, the front contacts of this rela will open, thereby disconnecting the 10 L from transformer T and the back contacts of this relay will close to connect the load L with the battery B through a winding .9ofarelayA.

The primar 5 of a transformer T is also connected wit transmission line P, and the secondary 6 of this transformer is connected withthe input terminals of a full-wave rectifier 'R. The output terminals of rectifier R are connected with-the battery B, through a transformer T. and the'battery B is discon- B will'be increased to compensate for the resistance 7 and a winding 8 of relay A, so that battery B is constantly supplied with a small char 'ng current as long as transmission line is supplied with power. This chargin current is what is ordinarily known as a tric e charge, in that it is just sufiicient to maintain the battery in fully charged condition when the battery is not connected with a load.

Relay A is provided with a front contact 10 which is normally open, but which, when closed, completes a low resistance shunt around the current-limiting resistance 7 in the batterycharging circuit. The' relay A is so proportioned that the trickle charge current in winding 8 is not sufiicient to close contact 10, but that when battery B is connected with the load L the output current of the battery in winding 9 is sufiicientto close the contact 10: When contact 10 is once closed, it will be held closed by the battery charging current in winding 8 even though the output current winding 9 becomes deenergized. Usually the windin 8 will' be a relatiyely high'resistance win ing, and the winding 9 wi l have relatively low resistance.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Normally, the power-oil relay C is energized, so that the load L is connected with nected from the load. Relay A is open, so that the battery is receiving a trickle charge. When the supply of alternating current to the transmission line P fails, relay C will open, thereby connecting the load L with the battery B and at the same time energizing relay A'to close contact .10. Then when power is again supplied to the transmission line P, relay C will become energized toagain connect the loadL with the tranformerT, but contact 10 of relay A will remain closed, so that the charging rate of battery current which has been drawn from the battery to operate the load L. This condition will continue until contact 10 of relay A is opened manually.

Apparatus embodying my invention is particularly well adapted for use in connection with railway signaling wherein the load L may, for example, be a signal lamp.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is suitable for use in connection with a continuous load, but if the load is intermittent, the apparatus cannot be relied upon to function properly under all conditions, because if the load circuit should be open when power is restored to the transmission line P, relay A would be deenergized and the charging rate of battery B would not be increased. In 2 I have shown a modified form of a paratus which is suitable for use in connection with an intermittent load. In this view the circuit for lamp L includes a contact 12, and when the lamp L is a signal lamp for a rail way signaling system the contact 12 may be the usual approach lighting contact whereby the lamp L is lighted only when a train is approaching. In this view the circuit for winding 9 of relay A is the same as in Fi 1, but the circuit for winding 8 of this relay 1s from the lower terminal of battery B, through winding 8 and front contact 11 of relay A to the upper terminal of battery B.

Except for the difierences just pointed out,

the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 is the same as that shown in Fig. 1.

. and will be The operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 is as follows: In the event of failure of the supply of power to the transmission line P, relay C will open and will connect the load L with the battery B through winding 9 of relay A. The closing of contact 11 of relay A will connect winding 8 with battery B so that relay A will then remain closed until its armature is manually opened. It follows that when power is restored to the transmission line P, the resistance 7 will be shunted so that the battery B will be charged at a relativel high rate, and this will occur regardless 0 whether or not contact 12 is closed at the time that the power is restored to the transmission line.

Railway signaling systems are carefully watched by maintainers, and it is understood that upon each inspection of the battery charging equipment, the maintainer will manually open the armature of relay A if he finds it closed, or that he will determine from the condition of the battery B whether or not the battery has been restored to .its full charge,

governed accordingly in his manipulation o the armature of relay A.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of apparatus embodying my invention, itis understood that vari-v ous changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and sccipe of my invention. aving thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a storage battery, a

' source of alternating current, a normal- 1 connected with said source, means responsive to failure of current from said source for connecting said load with said battery, a relay having two windin one of which is included in the output circuit of said batr tery, a charging circuit for said battery including said source and a rectifier as well as a resistance and the other winding of said relay, and a low resistance shunt around said repistance including a front contact of said re ay.

2. In combination, a storage battery, a source of alternating current, a load normal- 1y connected with said source, means responsive to failure of current from said source for connecting said load with said battery, a relay havlng two windings one of which is included in the out ut circuit of said batter a circuit for the ot er relay winding including said batter and a front contact of the relay, a charging circuit for said battery includin said source and a rectifier as well as a resistance, and a low resistance shunt around said resistance including a front conact of said relay 3. In combination, a storage battery, a source of alternating current, a load normally connected with said source, means respons1ve to failure of current from said source for connecting said load with said battery, a closed char g circuit for said battery including sai source and a rectifier, a relay havin a winding included in the output circuit 0 said battery wherebfy the relay becomes energized upon the flow 0 current from said battery means for subsequently keeping said relay energized after current is again supplied b said source, and means efiective while said re a is energized to increase the rate of char e 0 said battery.

4. n combination, a storage battery, a source of alternating current, aload normally connected with said source, means responcuit of said battery whereby the relay becomes energized upon the flow of current from said battery, means for subsequently keeping said rela energized after current is again sup lied y sai source, a resistance included in t e charging circuit for aaidbattery, and a low resistance shunt around said resistance including a front contact of said relay.

In testimon whereof I afix my si ature.

hum N. SPAN G ER. 

